Your Game, My Life
by ThatOneGoodWriter
Summary: Love hurts. two-shot. Clace. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

_Hey guys. Sorry I haven't been updating lately, but I'm all over the place. I don't know what or how I'm feeling. It's as if I'm on a roller coaster that can't stop. So, I hope this will be a way to vent my emotions. Maybe I'll feel better. I hope you guys are doing much better than I am. All the love, dear friends._

 **We grow. It hurts at first.**

Sylvia Plath

 _HER_

She sighed and kicked her feet off of the bed to his dismay. He watched wearily as she slid off of the mattress, her brilliant, bare body on display. She turned to him for a moment, lifting an auburn eyebrow. "I'll see you whenever."

He nodded his head.

And that's how they usually ended their business.

 **x**

 _MAIA_

"Hey, hon. I'm heading to the grocery store." She glanced back to the fridge. "I don't think we have any milk." She shouldered her coat, arranging the buttons. "Wanna come?"

He shook his head. "Nah. I'm good. I'll stick to some sunday football." He stretched his arms out on the couch, letting his body relax.

She laughed, tilting her head. "Yeah, whatever. You're so lazy."

Before she closed the front door behind her, she uttered softly, "Love you." It sounded like a question.

He answered without even thinking. "Love you too."

Because everything was that easy sometimes.

 **x**

He was one of the top lawyers in Manhattan's largest firm.

Money came like snow fell in the Big Apple.

 **x**

"Did you hear about Isabelle's party?" Alexander asked, leaning against the kitchen counter. He sipped idly from his cup of water, eyes observing his younger brother.

Jace blinked. "You know I never go to those parties."

Alexander scoffed, placing his cup down. "I know." He swiped a pale hand over his ebony strands. "But this one's worth it. She graduated college, you idiot."

Jace shrugged. "I don't care. She invites hundreds of people. She doesn't need me there." There was bitterness in his voice, a sign that his brother had struck a nerve.

Alexander released a breath. He swiped his phone from a wooden table and shoved it in his pocket. "Do whatever you want, man."

"I will."

 **x**

 _MAIA_

She was reading a book beside him, her glasses propped above her nose. He lowered his head deeper into the comfort of his pillow. "You seem quiet today. Is something up?"

"Just a little tired."

She tugged off her glasses and placed them on the cabinet top to her right. "Is it work? Do you wanna talk about it?" She was genuinely concerned, her brown eyes searching. He almost wanted to throw himself out of the room; it felt like everything was compiling on his back, dragging him to the earth.

He licked his lips. "Nothing, babe. Really." She gave him one last frown, like she didn't believe him, before reaching forward, her soft mouth nibbling at his. It was in these tiny frames of time that he became delusional. That he convinced himself that all was okay. He was with the girl he wanted to be with. Doing the thing he wanted to do.

Perhaps that was enough.

She moaned, deep in her throat and he caught her body in his arms, her skin warm and buzzing beneath him.

 **x**

 _MAIA_

She was a third grade teacher.

She had all the traits to accompany her for that job. She was kind and understanding, patient when facing trouble, and loving when dealing with struggle.

Kids adored her.

He guessed he did too.

 **x**

 _MAIA_

They were eating dinner. He was poking his fork into his shrimp, chewing the pieces carefully. He didn't have the stomach to eat, but he didn't want her worrying over him.

She was abnormally distant that night, her head tucked into her shoulders. He knew her well enough that realize that she had something to say. So he asked her.

"Uh..." She faltered, blushing a bit. "It's just-Isabelle's party is coming up." Her orbs were glued on her steaming vegetables. "And she invited us, y'know? I was just hoping we could go."

Jace placed his utensil down, none too harshly. "I thought we already talked about this, Maia."

She shrank back at the firmness of his voice. "I know. I just-"

He cut her off, scowling. "Look, you asked me to mend my family relationships. I did. For you." He rose to his feet, pushing his chair in. "I'm not doing anything more than that."

He could tell she was exasperated with him. He could see it in the way her lips were tightly pursed. All she replied with was, "Then I guess I'll go alone."

That was that.

 **x**

 _HER_

She arrived to their apartment room a few minutes late. When she trudged inside, she appeared flustered, her hair whipped from the wind. "Hey."

He ignored the adrenaline the glimpse of her produced. "Hey."

She launched her purse on the carpet and groaned. "You called much earlier than you usually do." She unzipped her coat and made a sound of discomfort when her hair got caught in the process.

"Here. Let me get it." He said, bending while standing to accommodate her short height. He took her lock of hair and gently pulled it upwards. He could feel her breathing in front of him, in small spurts. She smelled like vanilla and lily; the scents almost made him dizzy. "There you go."

"Thanks." She mumbled, not peering at him. "You didn't answer me."

He sat at the corner of the bed. "I needed you earlier. That's it. Do you need an explanation?"

She grinned at his annoyance. "Yea, I do."

 **x**

 _HER_

"Shit," he cursed, "You're so tight." She gasped, her red lips parting slightly. He bent down roughly over her petite body and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

She's atop the bed sheets, her white skin luminous to his gaze. Her freckles blind him, blots that cause him to pepper and suck at her flesh. He is rewarded with the sounds she makes. The way she calls his name.

In the back of his head, he wonders how many have enjoyed her like him. He shakes away the invading thought, thrusting into her. He shoves his face into her neck, enjoying the way their bodies blend and shake.

She's murmuring something he can't really hear. The room is dark, save for her fiery hair. It's a lamp in a lonely cave.

"Fuck..." He says huskily, reminding her that he's close.

All she does is widen her legs for him.

 **x**

 _HER_

"Shouldn't you be heading home?" She asked curiously, wrapping a towel around her wet body. She had just taken a shower, her wet curls twisted a bit at the ends.

"Not now." She hummed a little, as if she had more to say.

"Care to talk about it, pretty boy?" She spread some lotion over her arms, rubbing at the substance.

He turned around on the mattress, giving her his back. She sighed, like she was used to his behavior.

And then he felt the bed shift and her face was leaning over his. She looked young and lovely in the afternoon light. She smiled, tenderly and alive. "Stop being so down, Jace." She pecked him on the forehead. "You'll be alright."

And then she left, leaving him disoriented and in love.

 **x**

 _MAIA_

She arrived late from the party, tipsy and flushed. The light brown skin of her back was displayed in the dress she wore. Alluring and fetching. She made her way to the living room, where he sat, blindly staring at some simpsons. "Hey, love." She greeted, collapsing on the couch.

His mouth twitched. "Did you have a good time?"

She swiped a thread of her hair away from her forehead. "Yea." Her eyes lifted to meet his. "I wish you were there, though. People talk when a husband isn't with his wife." She said it lightheartedly, like it wasn't a big deal. She was drunk and she was talking the truth.

"I know." He grabbed her hand and intertwined their fingers. His, long and pale. Hers, chubby and short. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's okay." Her words were starting to slur together. "I'll always forgive you."

He stood up above her and placed his arms underneath knees and back. "Come on," he whispered. "Let's get you to bed."

She whispered something and he was pretty sure it was plain gibberish, but then she repeated it again.

"What?" He asked, leading her up the stairwell, wary not to knock anything forward.

"I love you."

 **x**

Isabelle texted him the following morning. The message said:

 _I didn't expect you to come. Thanks for living up to my expectations._

He didn't reply. Instead, he grabbed his briefcase and drove to work.

 **x**

 _HER_

She never called him.

He only called her.

 **x**

 _So this is gonna be a two-shot. Hope you enjoyed this so far. Review beautiful angels._


	2. Chapter 2

_Read the author's note at the end of the story/two-shot._

 **I got lost in him, and it was the kind of lost that's exactly like being found.**

Claire LaZebnik

Every day felt like it was the same thing to him.

It was the same routine.

And he was sick of it.

 **x**

 _HER_

"Hey, mom. Is everything alright?" Clarissa asked, her voice echoing in the small room. She sat on the wooden chair near the white bed, dropping her bag and jacket on the ground. Her mother was still, her eyes closed. Her body appeared frail, a constant reminder that she was losing parts of herself as days passed. She had been in that position for a year now. Clarissa brought her hand forward and brushed it along her mother's cheeks, reveling the warmth of her skin, but hating the life it lacked.

She smiled softly, and began, "Work's been busy. The diner is booming. I guess it's a good thing, but I'm getting tired." She sighed. "I'm barely getting enough sleep." She lifted her eyes to the white walls surrounding her. "I talked to Sebastian the other day. I can-I can tell he loves me, mom. I don't know how, but I do. And I don't know how that makes me feel."

Clarissa rose up briskly, trudging to the window that overlooked buzzing streets. The bright lights of advertisements seemed too far away. "I've still got a lot of stuff to figure out." She fisted her hands. "I wish you were with me, ma."

 **x**

 _MAIA_

Her friend scoffed. "You're overthinking things, Maia. He's a lawyer. Stress comes in the title." Isabelle had been her closest companion for the longest time, since they were teenagers. Now, they were adults, bound to more unexpected paths.

"I don't know." Maia crossed her arms over her chest in disagreement. They were in Isabelle's condo, treating themselves to sweet wine. "He hasn't been..." She tried to find the right words, "less loving. He's just been distant. And I'm worried about him, Izzy."

Isabelle rolled her dark eyes, biting into a ripe cherry. "This is about Jace, girl. I can't help you with him."

Maia paced the extensive kitchen, her steps quick and deliberate. "Yeah. Thanks anyway."

 **x**

Jace went to the bar after work.

He drank hard whiskey right out of the bottle.

And then he called her again.

 **x**

 _HER_

She came on time. Her long hair was braided to the side, some locks drifting over her face. She looked like she had just come from home, wearing a simple hoodie and pajama bottoms. "Hey." She told him first, but then added, "Are you drunk?"

He didn't bother lying. "Yeah."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Okay." She slipped out of her gym shoes and made her way to where he sat. Their shoulders touched briefly. She was so much smaller than he was. "Tell me what's wrong."

Jace rubbed the bottom of his nose with the back of his hand. "So many fucking things." He peered ahead at the door, as if he couldn't look at her.

"List them out for me, Jace." The sound of his name from her tongue almost made him breathless. He swallowed; his gaze was getting blurry.

"I'm not happy. That's it. I'm not happy." His voice was raw. He could hear it himself, the anguish and the pain and the helplessness. Clarissa's hand found his shoulder. It was burning, sizzling his insides and making his head fall forward in defeat.

"It's okay." She whispered. She nearly sounded like she was crying. "That's life, babe."

And then he was cupping her face with his hands, desperately kissing her like there wasn't tomorrow. She let herself relish his touch, becoming the one thing he needed to get through the day.

 **x**

 _MAIA_

(flashback)

She shouldered her backpack, running forward while also making sure her car was locked. She made her way through a throng of students, muttering apologies, her head tucked downwards in nervousness. It was her first day of college. She wasn't going to be late.

She took a flight upstairs to the english floor and was delighted when she discovered she was the second student in the class. Curious, she glanced to the male who was scribbling in his notebook, barely noticing her presence. He had shaggy, blonde hair and a lean body. She wanted to see his face, she realized. She wanted to know who he was.

That's when he glanced up and her brown eyes met his molten, gold ones. He cracked a smile. "Hey."

She blushed, embarrassed for getting caught. "Hi."

"You're here for class, right?" He asked, tilting his head to the side. The way he was observing her made her anxious.

She nodded.

"Oh, well, I'm in here too. I'm Jace."

She willed her heart to stop its rapid beating. "Maia."

 **x**

 _HER_

(flashback)

She sauntered to the back kitchen and slid the orders to Raphael and Jordon. "One is to-go and the other is in here." The cooks nodded, grabbing the small sheets of paper and tucking them into their pockets.

Clarissa adjusted her shirt, wiping away some of the water that had dropped onto the cloth of her collar. She looked to the front of the diner just as someone walked inside, the sound of a bell signaling another customer. She stretched out her fingers; her hands were getting numb from the constant orders she had to write. She skipped her way to the front and met the male at his table in the back.

"Welcome to Alicante. Are you here alone?" She asked, giving him a smile.

He inclined his head to face her. "Oh, yeah. I'm alone." He had an enchanting face, she noticed. His skin was pale and smooth, his lips pink and full. She wondered absentmindedly if he was a model or perhaps someone of notability.

"Okay. What would you like to order, sir?"

The corner of his mouth jerked. "You can call me Jace. Sir makes me sound old."

She laughed.

 **x**

 _ISABELLE_

(flashback)

"Don't you fucking get it?!" He shouted to her, the veins on his neck bulging. She almost cowered away at the waves of anger he was sending her. "I said I didn't want to see him." He waved his arm emphatically. "I didn't want to see the piece of shit!"

She held her ground, biting her bottom lip so it wouldn't quiver. "I brought him to talk to you. So you guys could move on." She shook her head. "I wanted to help you, Jace."

He chuckled bitterly, like she had said the most unbelievable thing he had ever heard. He pushed his hair back recklessly, walking back and forth on their porch. "You know what, Izzy? You're such a fucking selfish bitch." She recoiled at the words, but he kept going, oblivious. "You're trying to hide in the background, trying to _help_ people. But you're not helping." He scowled, not looking like her younger brother anymore. "You're not. You've got a boat load of shit to take care of yourself."

Isabelle's eyes narrowed, tears almost slipping. She fisted her hands from where they resided behind her back. "Okay. Whatever you say."

Before he left to his car, he turned and added, "You've lived in a happy home your whole life. I got adopted after years of hell." His voice turned quiet. "You don't understand what it's like to live with a dad that beats you for the heck of it. Then leaves you to rot."

 **x**

Maia caught him before he could head off to the firm in the morning. He felt guilty that he was trying to run away from her every chance he got. "Jace!" She called from the hall, just as he was putting on his tie.

"Yeah?" He asked, jerking the strands of his hair. He really needed a haircut.

She was puffing slightly, like she had woken up early just to see him. "I wanted to talk to you."

He played it off easily. "Sure. When?"

She occupied herself with her hands, wringing them together uneasily. "It's not-It's important."

"Can it wait till I get back?" He asked, pecking her on the cheek.

She looked like she was going to argue, but then went with, "Okay. But I know something's wrong with you." He lifted an eyebrow. "I know there is. And I want you to know that I'm here for you." She showed him their wedding ring. "Always. You know that."

He nodded, unable to speak.

 **x**

 _HER_

After a long conversation with his wife, he didn't call her for a few months.

Sometimes, he thought about her.

But she was always in the back of his mind.

 **x**

 _MAIA_

She was rinsing the dishes, dipping them in soap and water. It was nearing afternoon, the sun spreading its rays after a short season of fall. She didn't have much to do but a few chores here and there. Jace would probably work an all-nighter. The house would practically be empty; she thought about inviting Isabelle over for a movie. She was awfully bored.

She gasped in alarm when arms grasped her waist gently. Turning frantically, she found her husband, laughing hysterically. "You're should've seen your face, May." She flushed, smacking him against the chest. He hadn't used that nickname since they had dated years prior.

"Shut up. What are you doing here? I thought you had a case to work on." She was smiling, too hard and too wide for her to stop.

"Decided that I didn't want to go today. I have better things to do." He gave her a tiny smirk.

She played along, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Like what, might you say?"

He leaned his forehead against hers, pulling her body toward his. "Taking you out to dinner."

"Really?" She asked, surprised.

He nodded. "Get ready at about seven. I've got a table reserved."

 **x**

 _HER_

It was the first time she was calling him.

The first time she was asking for him.

After all the times she listened to his demands and desires.

She just needed him to answer this once.

 **x**

 _HER_

"You look great." He started, pulling her chair out for her to sit on.

Maia played with her ponytail. "Thanks. You'll rarely see me in a dress anyway."

"I know." Jace tugged at his menu, flipping it open to view some entrees. "I'm famished." He added, rubbing his stomach.

His wife rolled her eyes playfully. "You're always famished, Jace." She tapped at her menu. "I think I'm gonna have some shrimp. Maybe noodles too."

"Whatever the lady wishes." His phone vibrated in his pocket and he frowned momentarily, trying to power it off.

Maia noticed, her eyes a little concerned. "Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing. Probably a scam." He raised his finger. "Let me check the number."

His eyes widened a fraction at the name of the contact.

 _Clarissa_

She called again, but he didn't answer.

 **x**

 _HER_

She was sobbing, her cries deep and afraid. Jace wasn't answering, so she dialed for the nearest hospital. "Please! My mom-she's convulsing." Her breathing was hasty. "I don't know what to do." The man on the other end told her to calm down, trying to comfort her with words of encouragement. She hurriedly gave him her apartment address and ran to her mother's side.

Her mouth was parted, fizz coming out from the corners. She had stopped shaking, but her hands were trembling slowly. Clarissa bent her head into her mother's chest. She felt like her ribs were threatening to split apart from inside her body. She was crying too brutally to think straight.

About seven minutes passed before the ambulance arrived, sweeping the two of them like an incoming storm.

 **x**

 _HER_

An hour of waiting passed before a doctor met her.

Her world ended the moment he announced regretfully, "I'm afraid to say, but your mother is brain dead. I'm so sorry for your loss, ma'am."

 **x**

She was still sitting at a chair in the hospital when Jace called, four hours late.

"Clarissa, what's up?" His tone was light and playful.

She leaned her head back against the wall behind her. She shut her eyes, the tears hot on her cheeks. "I'm at the hospital, Jace." She had lost her voice. She sounded like an old woman, tired and careless.

"What? Why? What happened?"

"Come meet me here, please." She said, not worried that she was being helpless and clingy. She pleaded with him, clutching her knees tightly. "Please, Jace. "

"Alright. Give me the address."

 **x**

 _HER_

He found her curled up like a ball, sleeping soundly. He bent down to face her, tenderly placing his hand underneath her chin. "Clarissa?" He called slowly, not wanting to wake her up suddenly.

She stirred awake, blinking in the light. Her eyes were puffy. She sat up when she saw him. "Where were you?" She questioned, not bothering to hide the accusation. "I called you so many times." Her chin trembled.

He opened his mouth. Tried to speak. Couldn't.

She wiped her face with her sleeves. "I always came when you called. Always." She clenched her jaw. "And the one time I called you, you didn't even answer." She stopped to stare at him, her green orbs murky and dull. "What happened to you?"

"I was with Maia. I'm sorry." He knew it was a pathetic answer, but it was accurate. It was the truth.

Clarissa sniffled. "I don't know what to do anymore." She crumbled, her body shuddering.

He gathered her up in his arms, rocked her back and forth. "That's life, babe."

 **x**

For the next week, he spent his time with Clarissa. He told Maia he had a business trip and she believed him loyally, wishing him the best of luck.

He was residing in Clarissa's apartment, a small space that once held her mother.

Clarissa was numb and tired.

So he just held her when she needed him, kissed her when she asked for him.

 **x**

"You don't have to be here, y'know." She said quietly, putting on her bra.

He watched her carefully. "I want to."

She turned to him in just her underwear and bra. Her body looked as captivating as ever. She shivered slightly, wrapping her arms around herself. Her hair was wet from her bath, water dripping on the carpet. "Come here."

He did, towering over her figure. She gripped his shoulders with small palms and met his gaze steadily. "You love Maia. You were just with me when you needed to get laid."

He sucked in a breath. "That's not true." Her chest was touching his. He could still smell her. Could still recognize the fragrances she used.

She smiled, a little exhausted. She was amused by him. "I've loved you since I saw you at the diner, Jace. I still love you now."

Jace's arm jerked from where it was wrapped around her bare waist. He didn't respond.

"I knew I would be a toy to you. I swear I knew it, Jace. You were too good for me. I deserved less." She released a hiccup and a tear trickled down from her eyes. He lifted his fingers to wipe it away, but she shook her head quickly. "And you're with me now and I don't even know why. Just leave. Save me the trouble, Jace." She dropped her face into his chest. "Save me the fucking trouble."

 **x**

He grabbed his suitcase and left it near the apartment door.

She was observing him gingerly, a stunning girl with little to hold onto. "Kiss me before you go."

He did and he held her firmly, parting her lips with his tongue. And he tugged at her hair. And caressed her skin. And he loved her.

 **x**

That was the last time he saw her.

 **x**

That was just life, though.

 **x**

 _A/N: So, that's it. Also, I don't fucking enjoy it when I get two reviews on something I work hard on. It's honestly not even funny anymore. Tell me it's bad if you don't like it, tell me what you liked, tell me what you think._

 _Start reviewing people. You guys are ruining writers. And I'm really not in the mood to lose the only site that makes me feel at home._

 _Sending love to all of you, wherever and whoever you are._


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